The US insurance arm of Manulife has partnered with research firm Verily, which is owned by Google parent company Alphabet, and virtual diabetes clinic Onduo.
John Hancock has collaborated with the two firms to unveil a “first of its kind” life insurance solution designed specifically for American citizens living with diabetes.
The firm hopes the John Hancock Aspire™ with Vitality solution will reach the 15 million people living the disease who don’t have life cover.
“Many have worried they won’t qualify for a life insurance policy because they have diabetes, and if they can secure coverage, they are worried it’s too expensive,” John Hancock said in a statement.
“Further, even those with quality healthcare don’t always have access to state-of-the-art, personalised diabetes management support.”
Details
The solution offers customers living with diabetes the protection of life insurance paired with a technology-enabled programme that provides coaching, clinical support, education, and rewards designed to help manage and improve their health.
All John Hancock Aspire customers will also have access to an enhanced version of John Hancock Vitality, which is designed to reward steps customers take toward living longer, healthier lives, like exercise and buying healthy food, and now offers opportunities specific to the diabetes journey.
Qualifying customers with type 2 diabetes will be eligible to access Onduo’s virtual clinic and receive a blood glucose monitoring device which, when used in conjunction with the Onduo app, provide insights into the user’s diabetes management.
Onduo’s virtual care team, made up of diabetes professionals such as dieticians, diabetes educators and doctors, offers personalised guidance and support regarding diet, activity, lifestyle habits and medication management.
Expanding offering
“The life insurance industry hasn’t traditionally served people living with diabetes well, when actually, we’re among the most uniquely positioned to help improve their health outcomes because our customer relationships often last a lifetime,” said Brooks Tingle, president and chief executive of John Hancock Insurance.
“When we help customers manage their diabetes by providing virtual care, education, support, incentives and rewards, we’re not only creating value for them, but also for our industry and society as a whole.”
He added: “It’s time our industry started delivering more tailor-made solutions that truly help our customers.”
